| US 7,468,050 B1 | ||
| Long term ambulatory intra-aortic balloon pump | ||
| Allen B. Kantrowitz, Miami Beach, Fla. (US) | ||
| Assigned to L. Vad Technology, Inc., Detroit, Mich. (US) | ||
| Filed on Dec. 24, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/746,543. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/436690, filed on Dec. 27, 2002. | ||
| Int. Cl. A61M 29/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 604—96.01 | 24 Claims |
| 1. A long-term ambulatory intra-aortic balloon pump system for providing left ventricular cardiac assistance to a patient
comprising:
an external drive system for supplying a compressed fluid, the drive system operating in accordance with a control program
stored in memory; and
an intra-luminal balloon pump having at least two elongate inflatable chambers, the intra-luminal balloon pump positionable
to be lying completely within a descending aorta of the patient, the at least two elongate inflatable chambers connectible
in fluid communication for simultaneously inflating and deflating the at least two elongate chambers synchronously with a
heartbeat of the patient in accordance with the control program stored in memory of the external drive system,
wherein the at least two elongate inflatable chambers are configured in series along a conduit with adjacent elongate inflatable
chambers longitudinally interposed with a flexible conduit link, the configuration allowing individual chambers to align relationship
with along a local longitudinal axis of a corresponding local segment of surrounding aortic lumen in a non-planar, non-uniform
radius of curvature relationship, and
wherein the elongate inflatable chambers are individually sized such that an inflated chamber does not increase a cross-section
of the local segment of surrounding aorta.
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